Riot Headline Book Riot’s 2024 Read Harder Challenge
Lists

YA Books With Hearts in the Title

Tirzah Price

Senior Contributing Editor

Most of Tirzah Price's life decisions have been motivated by a desire to read as many books as humanly possible. Tirzah holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has worked as an independent bookseller and librarian. She’s also the author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries, published by HarperTeen, and Bibliologist at TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations. Follow her on Twitter @TirzahPrice.

This list of YA books with hearts in the title is sponsored by Book Marks: A Reading Tracker.

Meet your new reading buddy: an all-in-one spot to record everything and anything book related. Inspired by bullet journaling, Book Marks offers ideas for setting up a multitude of book tracking pages with a mix of fill-in prompts, charts, lists, and plenty of dot-grid pages to customize. To help expand your literary horizons, the journal also includes a section of recommended reading lists compiled by Book Riot. Use Book Marks to jot down what you’re currently reading, what’s on your nightstand, your favorite quotes, new vocabulary words, memorable characters, your reviews of recent reads, and more. A clever bonus: the back flap has a punch-out bookmark!


Valentine’s Day is coming up, and whether you love it or can leave it, hearts are in the air. If you want a good read this weekend, and if candy hearts aren’t your thing, here are 15 YA books—from romance to historical to fantasy—with “hearts” in the title. Happy reading!

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable ThingsHearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things by Jacqueline Firkins

This is a fun retelling of Mansfield Park, starring Edie Price. She’s still recovering from her mother’s death, living with her cousins, and plans on studying hard for a college scholarship when she finds herself romantically caught between her childhood best friend and the local bad boy.

Hearts UnbrokenHearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Louise Wolfe swears off dating after one too many of her boyfriends and crushes displays racist behavior and thinking, but when she focuses on work at the school paper she finds herself working with a cute new guy who has her reconsidering her no dating rule.

Secret of a Heart NoteThe Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee

Mimosa is an aromateur, and she has the special ability to mix scents in order to help people fall in love. However, she’s doomed to never fall in love herself without losing her ability—but when a scent mix-up sends her scrambling to set things right, she learns that love doesn’t always follow the rules.

Symptoms of a Heartbreak by Sona CharaipotraSymptoms of a HeartBreak by Sona Charaipotra

When a 16-year-old prodigy fresh from medical school begins working at her mother’s hospital treating cancer patients, she finds herself falling for one of her patients and risking her new career in order to find him a treatment to save his life.

HeartlessHeartless by Marissa Meyer

Catherine lives in Wonderland, and she knows she should be happy that she is a great favorite of the King of Hearts, but she can’t help but yearn for a freer life, where she can be a baker and fall in love with the court jester. But things don’t go to plan in this origin story of Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts.

His Hideous HeartHis Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler

This is a diverse collection of short stories retelling and reimagining the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe from authors such as Kendare Blake, Rin Chupeco, Lamar Giles, Amanda Lovelace, Caleb Roehrig, and more! The book also includes the original stories by Poe, making for a fun read-and-compare experience.

Small Town HeartsSmall Town Hearts by Lillie Vale

Babe Vogel is looking forward to a fun summer in her touristy town before her best friends go off to college, but when friendship drama strikes and her ex-girlfriend returns to town, Babe’s summer is anything but chill. On top of that, a cute new guy keeps dropping by…but Babe knows better than to get involved with a tourist…but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Every Heart a Doorway coverEvery Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

The first in the Wayward Children series, this book introduces Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, AKA children who once tumbled into other worlds and have now returned and are in need of some help readjusting. Nancy is one such child, now teenager, and she’s determined to find her way back to her world, even if she has to face a killer to do so.

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Tash is the creator of a webseries adaptation of Anna Karenina, and when she receives a shoutout from a famous vlogger, she goes viral. With all the newfound attention, her online flirtation with another vlogger escalates—leaving her worried about how to disclose that she’s asexual.

HeartstopperHeartstopper by Alice Oseman

In this lovely and sweet graphic novel, two teenage boys strike up a friendship that turns romantic—but they’re not both out and they must learn how to navigate high school and coming out together. This graphic novel is out now in the UK and will be released in the U.S. on May 5, so preorder it now!

Foolish HeartsFoolish Hearts by Emma Mills

When Claudia inadvertently witnesses the breakup of her school’s it couple, it is the most interesting thing to happen to her—but it also puts her in an awkward position as she works on her school’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

my heart and other black holes by jasmine wargaMy Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

In the wake of her father’s violent crime, Aysel has decided to plan her own death. Unsure if she can go through with it, she finds a partner to make a suicide pact, but the more they plan and the closer they get to the date, the more convinced Aysel becomes that she needs to convince her partner to stay alive and experience life with her.

Things We Know By HeartThings We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

When Quinn’s boyfriend dies unexpectedly and his heart is donated to someone in need, Quinn tracks down the recipient in the hopes of finding closure…and ends up falling for the person with her boyfriend’s heart.

SweetheartsSweethearts by Sara Zarr

Jenna and Cameron were best friends as kids, but then Cameron disappeared. Forced to move on, Jenna recreates herself in high school, but is shocked when Cameron reappears one day, forcing them both to confront their shared past.

Paper HeartsPaper Hearts by Meg Wiviott

Based on a true story, this novel in verse is about how one young woman imprisoned in Auschwitz risked everything to make a paper heart to give to her best friend as a birthday gift, and how that single paper heart became a symbol of hope for them all.


What’s your Valentine’s Day bookish date? Let us know on Instagram! And find more from 3 on a YA theme.